Collapsible furniture



sept. 23 1924.

J. POLIVKA COLLPSIBLE FURNITURE 2 Sheets-Sheet l' lLAM/EAJTORJ J. POLIVKA COLLAPSIBLE'FURNITURE sept. z3. 192,14.

Filed Jan. 2O 1922l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ftd/67 /0 IN VEN TO R Patented Slept. 23, i924.

.iosnrn rio-ravira, or crrroaeo, infirmiers.

GOLLAPSIBLE FURNITURE.

Appiication eiearanuary 20, i922. serial no. 530,534.

To all wiz/om t may concern:

Be 1t lrnown that I, Josnrn FoLrvirA, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cool; and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Collapsible Furniture, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to collapsible or folding furniture and has particular refer ence to collapsible chairs and tables.

It is an object of this invention to provide a chairor table which shall be collapsible or folding and arranged to occupy a minimum of space.

The invention also contemplates among its objects, the `construction of a chair or table which includes a plurality of simple members adapted for folding one into the other.

.y With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the novel construction, combination and relative position of the parts and members hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims. y v

`Referring to the drawing in which like reference characters indicate lilre or corresponding parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a chair embodying my invention and shown-in unfolded or extended position. s

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure l'with the seat portion'l partly broken to show details of other members.

Figure 3 is a view of Figure 1 inthe collapsed or folded position.

Figure 4 is an enlarged top view of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail of the pivotal connection for the strut and brace members showing their abutment with a centrally mounted retaining member.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate respectively elevation and plan views of a modification of my invention showing a chair or table embodying four supporting legs each arranged in two pivoted sections the lower sections being movable outwardly and over the upper sections into folded position as shown by Figure 8.

Figure 8 shows the chair illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 in folded position.

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail of the central retaining member and pivotal connection for struts and'braces.

, tweeny the sides Figure 10 illustrates the abutment of the lrneebra`ce with the upper leg member and also the abutment of the lower leg member with the lznee-brace and the upper leg meinber.

Referring now particularly to Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, the construction here shown includes a top or seat 10 forming substantie ally an equilateral triangle which may be made of any suitable flexible material such as canvas, the edges thereof being supported on the flexible members or rope 11; The flexible members 11 are supported at their ends in the tops 12A of the legs 12 which are substantially of tl or channel cross section. The lower ends of these legs 12 are slightly flared downwardly and outwardly at 12B to adord connection for the tie bars 13 which are pivotedv at 13A and provided with a hinge at 13B. The legs 12 are also formed with laterally and-inwardly disposed integral feet 12C.

- TV? hen lthe chair is in extended position as shown in Figure 1, the knee braces 14, which are of channel cross section, entend upwardly at approvimately an angle of 30 from their lower pivotal point 15 intermediate each channel leg to their upper pivot 16 Vabout the extending integral ear 17A of the central retaining member 17; It will be noted that mtlie `l-:nee braces 14 are slightly narrower in width than thedistahce beof the channel legs toV permit. folding there between as will be described later. To complete the triangular supporting frame, an inverted U or channel shaped strut 18 is provided to cooperate with each leg and brace 14. These struts 18 are slightly narrower in width than the space between the sides of the U-knee brace 14 and are also pivoted about the pin 16. A suitable spring 19 tends to retain the separated or spread position of the strut 18 from the knee brace 14. The maximum upward movement of the strut 18 is fixed by the engagement of the right angular or straight ends 18A with the abutment faces 17B of the retaining member 17. Likewise the angular inclination of 30o for the braces 14 is fixed by the engagement of their straight ends 14A with the abutments 17B. The free ends 18B are cut at right angles for abutment within the channel legs. It is thus obvious that the legs 12 are rigidly supported by opposed triangular frames formed by a strut and brace cooperating with each leg and that all frames have a common central abutment member 17.

To attain the folded position illustrated by Fig. 3, the struts 1S are depressed (as shownby arrows in Fig. l) against the pressure of the springs 19 into and between the sides of the braces 14 which `are simultaneously moved upwardly (as shown by arrows in Fig. l) into and between the sides of the upper portion of the channeled legs 12. During such movement, the tie bars 13 are folded upwardly between the legs as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Referring now to Figs. '6 to 9 inclusive, this structure involves the principles and details of construction substantially as -above described; the modification appearing in the four leg construction whereby the common central abutment or retaining member 2O is of square instead of triangular design. The table or chair is also made higher by the provision of two part leg including an upper member 21 and a lower member 22 which is pivoted at -15 and reversedly mounted to permit an outwardly and upward movement for folding over the outside of the portions 21 as shown in Fig. 8. It is obvious that the channeled lower portions 22 must be wider than the outside width of the upper portions 21 and that if the lower members 22 are longer than the upper as here shown, the space between the top 21A of the upper members and the feet 22A of the lower members, when in folded position as shown in Fig. 8, can be utilized for concealment and carrying of the seat on top 23. The small rope ties 24 prevent the outward spreading of thelegs.

F urther'inward movement of the leg portions 22 about the pivot 15 is overcome by the engagement of the overlapping cut 22B over the edges 21B.

The principles of design and construction herein described and shown in the accompanying drawings can thus readily be applied to chairs or tables of three or more legs and the same can be made in various heights and dimensions.

l claim:

l. An article of the kind described, comprising a flexible member forming substantially an equilateral triangle, a supporting leg of channel cross-section for each corner of said member, a brace of channel crosssection pivoted intermediate each of said legs and inclined upwardly toward its upper pivotal end, a member forming a common pivotal support for said upper ends of said braces, and struts extending from and pivoted only at said common pivotal support and having a square abutment with said leg, said struts and braces being relatively iixed and pivotally mounted to said common pivotal support and movable with it and adapted when in folded position to lie within said channelled legs.

2. In an article of the kind described, the combination of a plurality of channeled legs, a brace and strut for each leg extending from the leg toward the center of the article and being relatively fixed to and movable with a common abutment member, said braces being angularly disposed to said struts, the struts being arran d for fold ing within said braces, and sai braces within said channeled legs, and a flexible cover member extending over the top of said legs, said braces being provided at their lower pivotal ends with an abutment shoulder arranged to engage the inner side of the leg to limit their angle of inclination when in o en position, and said struts having a rig tangular end face for square abutment with the leg.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 16th dav of January,

JOSEPH POLIVKA. 

